WBB: Game #34 vs Duke (NCAA Sweet 16)

[Row6Seat10]

No. 6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (#24/#25) (25-8, 12-4 Big Ten) vs. No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (#5/#5) (32-2, 17-1 ACC)

Sunday, March 31, 1:30 p.m.
Ted Constant Center (Norfolk, Va.)
 

National TV: ESPN2  (Dave O’Brien-PBP; Stephanie White-Analyst; Jeannine Edwards-Sideline)
Radio: 25-Station IMG College Husker Sports Network  (PBP-Matt Coatney; Analyst-Jeff Griesch) (KBBK 107.3 FM, Lincoln; KFFF 93.3 FM, Omaha; KRVN 880 AM, Lexington; KLIQ 94.5 FM, Hastings; KNEB 94.1 FM, Scottsbluff; KHAQ 94.5 FM, North Platte; KCOW 1400 AM, Alliance; KRFS 103.9 FM, Superior; KSID 1340 AM, Sidney; KRGI 97.3 FM Grand Island)
Free Internet Audio: Huskers.com

 

 

Huskers Battle Blue Devils Sunday in NCAA Sweet Sixteen

No. 24 Nebraska takes on one of the nation’s most talented teams when the Huskers battle the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils at the NCAA Norfolk Regional on the campus of Old Dominion University Sunday.

Tip-off between the No. 6 seed Huskers (25-8, 12-4 Big Ten) and No. 2 seed Blue Devils (32-2, 17-1 ACC) at the Ted Constant Convocation Center is set for 1:30 p.m.

The Huskers, who have won 13 of their last 15 games, advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the second time in school history with a resounding 74-63 win over No. 9 Texas A&M on Monday night. Nebraska knocked off the third-seeded Aggies on their home court at Reed Arena in College Station. The Huskers and fellow Norfolk Regional participant Kansas, are the only two teams to advance to this year’s Sweet Sixteen by beating an opponent on their home court.

Traditional ACC and national power Duke travels just 185 miles down the road from Durham, N.C., to Norfolk, Va., to meet the Huskers, who will cover nearly 1,400 miles to reach Old Dominion.

The Blue Devils are making their 15th NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in the last 16 years (did not advance in 2009), while the Huskers are making their second trip in the last four seasons. Duke earned its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance overall and has won at least one game in every tournament, carrying an impressive 51-19 all-time record in the Big Dance.

Probable Starters:

Nebraska Cornhuskers
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - So. - F
23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - So. - F
35 - Jordan Hooper - 6-2 - Jr. - F
00 - Lindsey Moore - 5-9 - Sr. - G
24 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Fr. - G

 

Duke Blue Devils
15 - Richa Jackson - 6-0 - Jr. - F
33 - Haley Peters - 6-3 - Jr. - G/F
1 - Elizabeth Williams - 6-3 - So. - C
2 - Alexis Jones - 5-8 - Fr. - G
32 - Tricia Liston - 6-1 - Jr. - G

 

Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament Facts & Figures

• Nebraska is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance (1988, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013).

 

• NU advanced to its second NCAA Sweet Sixteen (2010, 2013)

• The Huskers advanced to the 2010 NCAA Sweet Sixteen (No. 1 seed Midwest Regional/Minneapolis).

• Nebraska seniors Lindsey Moore and Meghin Williams are the first players in Husker history to play in two NCAA Sweet Sixteen games. Graduate assistant Dominique Kelley also was a starter on NU’s 2010 Sweet Sixteen team. Kelley, a Lincoln native and the 2007 Nebraska High School Player of the Year at Lincoln Northeast, led the Huskers with 22 points in a 76-67 Kansas City Regional semifinal loss to Kentucky on March 28 at the Sprint Center. Notre Dame also competed in that regional.

• NU improved to 7-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with its win over No. 9 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas on March 25. The Huskers are 4-2 in the tournament since 2010 and 5-4 under Coach Connie Yori in five appearances.

• NU has advanced to the NCAA second round in 1993, 1998, 2008, 2010 and 2013, with the last three second-round appearances and both NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances coming under Coach Yori.

• Nebraska Coach Connie Yori is 6-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 5-4 at Nebraska. She went 1-2 as Creighton’s head coach during NCAA Tournament trips in 1993 (1-1) and 2002 (0-1).

• Yori was the 2013 Big Ten Coach of the Year. She was the 2010 Big 12 Coach of the Year and the 2002 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year. She was also the WBCA, Kay Yow, Naismith, AP and USWBA National Coach of the Year in 2010.

• Nebraska was one of six Big Ten teams in the 2013 NCAA Tournament (Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa). The Big Ten went 6-0 in the first round of the tournament, but the Huskers are the lone Big Ten team left standing in the Sweet Sixteen. Penn State, Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State all lost true road second-round games on their opponents’ home courts. Iowa fell on its home court to No. 1 seed Notre Dame.

• The Huskers own a 10-7 record against the 2013 NCAA Tournament field, including wins over Texas A&M, Michigan State, Michigan, Iowa (3), Florida State, South Florida, Oral Roberts and Chattanooga. NU suffered losses to Penn State (2), Purdue (2), Maryland, Creighton and South Dakota State. The Huskers were 8-6 against teams that advanced to the NCAA second round. NU is 0-1 against teams that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (Maryland).

• Nebraska entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 16 RPI team in the nation according to the NCAA, with the No. 12 Strength of Schedule nationally, according to RealTimeRPI.com.

• The Big Ten is the nation’s No. 2 RPI conference, trailing only the Big 12.

• Nebraska is 20-8 against teams that finished the regular season in the NCAA RPI Top 125.

• Nebraska is one of 25 teams in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field with a perfect 100 percent graduation rate. NU has had a 100 percent grad rate in each of NU’s five tournament appearances under Coach Connie Yori.

 What to Watch for from Nebraska in NCAA Sweet Sixteen

• A win for Nebraska over second-seeded Duke would give the Huskers their first-ever trip to the NCAA Elite Eight (Regional Final). It would also give NU a win over its highest-ever NCAA Tournament seed. Third-seeded Texas A&M (74-63, March 25, 2013) is the highest seed the Huskers have beaten in the tournament.

• Sunday’s game with Duke will mark the first time Nebraska has ever played a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers have played a pair of No. 1 seeds, including Old Dominion at the Constant Convocation Center on March 15, 1998. NU fell to ODU, 75-60, in the second round in Norfolk. Most recently, Nebraska lost to top-seeded Maryland, 76-64, in College Park, Md., on March 25, 2008.

• A win for Nebraska over No. 5 Duke would be NU’s first win over a top-five team since defeating No. 5 LSU, 77-63, at the Devaney Center in Lincoln on Dec. 20, 2009.

• A win for Nebraska over No. 5 Duke would mark the third win in school history over a top-five foe and the first away from the Devaney Center. NU defeated No. 2 Baylor, 103-99 in triple-overtime, on Jan. 12, 2005. The 2005 Lady Bears went on to win their first national title.

 • A win for Nebraska over No. 5 Duke would mark the highest ranked team the Huskers have ever beaten away from home. The Huskers’ second-round NCAA Tournament win at No. 9 Texas A&M matched the highest ranked team NU has ever beaten on the road. NU also beat No. 9 Baylor, 65-56, Jan. 17, 2010 in Waco, Texas. That was the only game Brittney Griner ever lost at the Ferrell Center.

• A win would be Nebraska’s ninth over an AP top-25 opponent in the last two seasons and 16th in the last four years, including 11 over AP top-16 foes.

• A win would increase Nebraska’s season victory total to 26 - the second-highest mark in school history trailing only 32 wins in 2009-10. The Huskers have recorded the three-highest win totals in school history (32, 2009-10; 25, 2012-13; 24, 2011-12) in the last four seasons.

• A win would give Nebraska 50 wins over the last two seasons, the most victories over two years in program history. Before this season, the most wins in a two-year span for the Huskers came in 2008-09 (15) and 2009-10 (32) when NU amassed 47 wins.

Huskers Battle Blue Devils in NCAA Sweet 16                        Huskers.com

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[Row6Seat10]

Game Day!!

 

Survive and advance!

 

Git-er-dun!

[atskooc]

We look like a steaming pile right now.

[tcp]

Duke has great size and good athletes. Really need Hooper to step up and make some shots. I think she's 0 for 8 right now.

[Bugeaters1]

We have a chance all beit a small one but it is there.

[tcp]

well, it was a brick fest and an ugly game to end a career with, but congrats to Lindsey for 4 great years. This team wound up going further than most expected it to.

And almost everyone's back next season for another shot.

 

good job, huskers, on a successful 2013 campaign!

[hoop_head]

Had a lot of fun watching these Seniors over the years. Congratulations to them.

 

Was fun to watch this teams run this season. Like the prez, I picked them into the Elite Eight, and it really could have been there were it not for the lids on the baskets.

 

Go Huskers!

[dothereddance]

yes---congratulations to the huskers for a wonderful season. all the best to m. williams and l. moore!

 

duke took much of the middle away, but, huskers had plenty of open shots (particularly the perimeter). ahhhh, what coulda been if they would have made a third of'em.

[Huskerpapa]

Kept wondering what could have been, but that said, the Huskers made a good run and I am very proud of their gutsy season.

[Cazzie22]

NU battled and defended well today.  Just could not hit any shots when we needed them to go down.  Stretch at the end of the first half probably cost us the game.  Proud of the Lady Huskers!  If everyone steps up their game and some of the incoming recruits provide some depth next year can be a nice year as well. 

[Row6Seat10]

Hate to see it end! When we started out with losses at South Dakota St and Creighton get blown out by Maryland and start the conference at 2-3, I wondered if we would even get to be a bubble team. But to end up with a birth in the Sweet 16 and then coming so close to advancing to the Elite 8 this year has got to be considered a very successful season. Too bad we left our shooting touch in College Station.

[caveman]

This game should be excellent motivation for the summer.  I'm sure they have some realization to how close they were to the top.  Just 3 made shots away and let's face Notre Dame did not exactly dominate Duke.  GBR